Process of sterilizing liquids.



No. 678,891. Patented Iuly 23, |90I. J. C. MILLER.

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(Application led. May 10, 1900.)

2 Sheets-Sheet l (No Model.)

No. 678,89l. Patented my 23, mol. J. c. MILLER.

' PROCESS 0F STEFHLIZING LIQUIDS.

(Application me May r10,171900.)

2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

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UNTTED STATES EETCE.

PATENT JOI-IN C. MILLER, OF CANTON, OHIO, ASSIGNOR TO JACOB II. MILLER, OF SAME PLACE.

PROCESS OF STERILIZING LIQUIDS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 678,891, dated July 23, 1901. AppuoauonfueaMy10,1000. serian. 10,218. (roept-,almeno To all whom, t may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN C. MILLER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Canton, in the county of Stark and State of Ohio, have invented new and useful Improvements in Processes of Sterilizing Liquids, of which the following is a specification.

The invention relates to a new process for sterilizing and cooling liquids, and more particularly to a process for treating milk to destroy bacteria and germs and to remove therefrom obnoxious odors and tastes, all of which may be accomplished without imparting to the milk a cooked taste, which is generally noticeable in milk sterilized by other processes and means, and, furthermore, without destroying the cream-giving properties of the milk, whereby the cream may be skimmed from the milk sterilized by my process the same as if the sterilization had not taken place.

The invention consists, broadly, in raising the temperature of the milk to a point below the boiling-point-say, for instance, to 168o or 170o Fahrenheit-keeping the milk in constant motion and in an attenuated stream while being subjected to a high temperature on both sides of the stream, then feeding the milk from the sterilizer to a cooler, before entering which it is subjected to the air to liberate from it all obnoxious and disagreeable fumes and gases.

The invention also consists in certain other steps, which will be hereinafter described and claimed.

This process may be carried out by the apparatus shown in the accompanying drawings and which is made the subject-matter of a separate application filed May 16, 1900, Serial No. 16,854, or may be carried out by the apparatus shown and described in my application for patent for improvements in apparatus for sterilizing and cooling liquids, filed December7, 1899, Serial No. 739,469, or entirely-different apparatus may be employed from those just mentioned.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation of an apparatus for carrying out my improved process. Fig. 2 is a transverse horizontal section on the line .fr of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a longitudinal vertical sectional View on line y y of Fig. 2. Fig. 4t is a horizontal sectional View on the lines z of Fig. l; and Fig. 5 is a side elevation, partly in section, of the steam or hot-water injector.

Referring to said drawings, 1 denotes the supporting-bed, and 2 the gear-frame, the latter consisting Aof vertical standards 3., connected by cross-bars 4.

5 denotes the sterilizer, which consists of the tub 6, which incloses two cylinders 7 and 8, the latter being inclosed within the former and formed with a helical corrugation 9,which throughout its entire length engages the in- 11er wall of Ythe cylinder 7 and forms a feedscrew. The upper end of the cylinder 7 is provided with an annular trough l0, while the upper end of the cylinder 8 is provided with an overhanging annular shield or flange 11, which prevents the liquid fed upward by the corrugation 9 being thrown out of the trough and also prevents the steam or hot water becoming mixed with said liquid. 12 denotes a pipe or conveyer which leads from said trough and communicates with the cooler hereinafter described.

13 denotes a supply-pipe, the upper end of which is provided with a funnel 14:, into which the liquid is adapted to be fed, and the lower end of which communicates with a transverse pipe 15, which communicates with the bottom of the cylinder 7 and is adapted to supply the liquid to said cylinder below the bottom of the cylinder 8.

a denotes a vertical tube arranged centrally within the cylinder 8 and secured thereto by braces h and c. Each end of this tube is open, and the upper end is provided with a funnel 0l.

16 denotes ashaft xed in the bottom of the cylinder 8 and having its lower end stepped in a bearing 17, formed in the bottom of the cylinder 7. This shaft is adapted to be rotated in any suitable manner, preferably by providing it with a gear e, which meshes with a gear f, iixed to the drive-shaft g, and will impart a rotary movement to the cylinder 8 to feed the liquid in the bottom of the cylinder 7 upward into the trough 10. Steam or hot water is adapted to be injected into the cylinder 8 to raise the temperature of the liquid as it is being fed upward in an attenloo uated stream from the bottom of the cylinder 7 and between the cylinders 7 and 8 by the helical rib or feed-screw, whereby the liquid under treatment will be thoroughly sterilized.

To maintain an equal temperature around the outside of the cylinder 7 and the inside of the cylinder 8, and thereby subject all particles of the liquid to a uniform temperature, I provide an injector h, which I locate between the tub 6 and the outer cylinder 7. This injector consists of a tube h, the upperend of which is bent over the funnel CZ to direct the steam and hot Water into said funnel. The lower end of the tube is iared, as shown at h2, and projecting within this flared end is a steam or hot-water pipe h3, controlled by a cock h4 and connected at its upper end to the main steam-pipe h5. A second steam-pipe h6, provided with a controlling-cock hl, projects through the tub 6 and is connected with a perforated coil ha, which is arranged within the tub at the bottom thereof.

When the machine is in operation, the hot water is fed into the tub and entirely surrounds the cylinder 7. The cock h4 is now opened and the injector put into action. The hot' water is now drawn from the tub by the injector and fed into the funnel d and passing down the centrally-dis posed vertical pipe is discharged into the cylinder 8 at the bottom thereof. It will thus be seen that the cylinders 7 and 8 will be kept at the sameV temperature, so that the milk being fed between said cylinders will have a uniform temperature. lf desired, the tub may be provided with an overiiow-pipe hg.

After the liquid has been thoroughly sterilized it is desirable to cool the same or reduce it to a low temperature, by doing which it is found that the cooked taste so objectionable in sterilized liquids is entirely removed, and the sudden subjection of the liquid to a lower temperature entirely destroys any germs or bacteria which may be in the liquid. It is essential in transferring the liquid from the. sterilizer to the heater to pass it through the air or vent it, so as vto permit of the escape of the obnoxious fumes and gases. The manner of accomplishing this will soon appear from the following description:

The cooler hereinbefore referred to consists of a tub or casing 19 and the cylinders 2O and 21. lVithin the tub 19 and within the cylinder 2l is adapted to be placed a cooling agent, such as cold water, or, if desired, I may use cold water in the tub and cold water and ice in the cylinder 2l. The inner cylinder 21 is provided with a helical corrugated feed-screw 22, which coacts with the interior Wall of the cylinder 20 to feed the liquid under treatment upwardly in a like manner as in the description of the sterilizer.

The conductor-pipe l2 extends from the trough of the sterilizer to a feed-pipe 23, which communicates with a pipe 24, which leads to the space between the cylinders 2O and 21 and conveys the liquid from the sterilizer to said space. As the liquid is discharged from the pipe 12 into the pipe 23 it is subjected to the atmosphere, and the gases and fumesgsepa rated from said liquid by the action of the sterilizer are liberated, so that the liquid when admitted to the cooler is freed from such fumes and gases and is in condition to have any bacteria or germs therein destroyed by the shock incident to the sudden changing of the temperature of the liquid. The cylinder 21 is provided with a shaft 25 for rotating it, and this shaft is provided with a gear-wheel 25', meshing with a gear-252, fixed to the driveshaft. The cylinder is also provided with a centrally-disposed tube 26, open at each end and having at its upper end a funnel 26'. Through this funnel is adapted to be passed cold water from a pipe 27', provided with a stop-cock 272. The upper end of the cylinder 20 is provided with a trough 27, while the upper end of the cylinder 21 is provided with an overhanging flange or shield 2S.

29 denotes a discharge-pipe leading from the trough 27 to a point where the liquid is to be bottled or stored.4

The cylinder 2O of the cooler is preferably provided with a spiralv strip 42, having a continuous flange 43 to form a spiral chamber, and is provided at its upper end with a trough 42, having an outlet-pipe 42h near its upper edge and may be inclosed within the casing 19. The tub at the lower end com municates with a vertically-disposed external pipe 42d, which leads upwardly and communicates with the trough 42a.

A cold-water pipe 42e, provided with a stopcock 422 extends through the trough 42a and communicates with the upper end o-f the tub. The ice, if used as a cooling agent, is placed within the cylinder 21 and the water turned on and discharged from its respective pipes 27' and 42e. The water discharging from the former pipe enters the funnel of the vertically-disposed tube andis discharged at the bottom of the inner cylinder and flows upward over the flange or shield 28 and empties into the trough 4t2a and escapes through the escape pipe 42h. The water entering the outer cylinder passes.j in a tortuous stream around the same until it reaches the lower end of the cylinder, from whence it escapes into the vertical pipe 42d, and is led to the trough l2m and discharged therefrom through kthe escape-pipe 42h.

From the foregoing description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, it is believed that the process will be fully understood without requiring an extended explanation. It may be well to lay stress upon the fact that the process is a continuous one and that there are no periods of rest, thereby enabling me to carry out the process without Waste of time, which is common to processes used for similar purposes, wherein after the liquid under treatment has been raised to a certain temperature it is held to that temperature for a certain period before IOO IIO

the temperature of the liquid uniformly to the required degree, subjecting it to the atmospheric air to liberate therefrom all gases and fumes, and suddenly, and continuously, Without pause, reducing its temperature.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in the presence of two subscribing zo Witnesses.

JOHN C. MILLER.

Witnesses:

BENJ. G. COWL, c SAML. A. DRURY. 

